Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During extensive rescue excavations undertaken across Dover’s Town centre by Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit, the southern end of a substantial structure representing a barrack block (B24) was located at the Battle of Britain Homes site in 1971 and is today beneath the York Street bypass. The structure was on a north-south axis, with a width of 5.7m and minimum length of about 16.6m with a possible original total length of 34m. The evidence suggests at least three periods of substantial modification and rebuilding of this structure, as is the case form many of the other buildings across the interior of the fort. (location accurate to the nearest 2m based on available information)

Monument Types

• FLOOR (B24 floors, Roman - 125 AD to 210 AD)
• WALL (Barrack walls., Roman - 125 AD to 210 AD)

Associated Finds

• BROOCH (Roman - 43 AD? to 99 AD?)
• VESSEL (Roman - 70 AD to 192 AD)
• COIN (Roman - 81 AD to 96 AD)
• FIGURINE (Roman - 110 AD to 150 AD)
• NEEDLE (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
• PIN (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
• SPOON (Roman - 125 AD? to 210 AD?)
• TILE (Roman - 125 AD to 210 AD)
• FERRULE (Roman - 130 AD? to 155 AD?)
• COIN (Roman - 138 AD to 161 AD)
• BLADE (Roman - 155 AD? to 165 AD?)
• BOLT (LOCK) (Roman - 155 AD? to 165 AD?)
• DISC (Roman - 155 AD? to 165 AD?)

Full description

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(Summarised from publication)

During extensive rescue excavations undertaken across Dover’s Town centre by Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit, the southern end of a substantial structure representing a barrack block (B24) was located at the Battle of Britain Homes site in 1971. Today the structure is located beneath the York Street bypass. The barrack block was on a north-south axis, it had a width of 5.7m and minimum length of about 16.6m with a possible original total length of 34m. The evidence suggests at least three periods of substantial modification and rebuilding of this structure, as is the case form many of the other buildings across the interior of the fort.

The building was situated midway between the east wall of the fort and the first pair of buildings (B25 and B26). Three complete rooms and part of a fourth were uncovered; these represent the original period one layout of the structure. They were situated beneath what survived of the period two and three walls and were between 58cm-64cm wide and giving an average width of 3.4-3.8m for the rooms. The walls were constructed of neatly squared chalk blocks set in a chalk wash and on top of a chalk rubble foundation and both the interior and exterior faces of the walls had traces of rendering. This period one structure was eventually replaced by another, on largely the same site. A new wall replaced the period one south wall and was offset from it by 10cm. Alongside this, an extra room was added, with a width of 3.1m and length 4.55m, to the south end of the structure. In general these new walls were 54cm-60cm wide and consisted of roughly squared chalk blocks set in an orange clay. The period two structure had in places been replaced by a new period three structure which sat partially over the remnants of the period two buildings. A new floor of opus signinum sealed the previous walls and floors. Major alterations are represented during this period by the total demolition to the period two southern extension and its reconstruction on a larger scale, measuring 4.6m by 5.4m internally. In addition a new external west wall was observed for 7m along the western sides of the southernmost two rooms. This new western wall may have continued to a wall stub located on the western side of room four, if so, that would give it an overall length of 16m. (1)

<1> Philp, B. J., 1981, The Excavation of the Roman Forts of the Classis Britannica at Dover 1970-1977 (Monograph). SKE7863.

Sources and further reading

Related records